Golf Club Head With Adjustable Weighting

ABSTRACT

A golf club head comprising a means for adjusting the location of the center of gravity and a slidable weight assembly are disclosed herein. The club head comprises two channels, each having at least one shoulder portion, a floor, and a rail extending upwards from the floor. The channels intersect at a junction, and a slidable weight comprising a top portion, a mechanical fastener, a clamping structure, and a keyed, anti-rotation structure is disposed within at least one of the channels. When the mechanical fastener is tightened, the top portion presses against the at least one shoulder portion and pulls the clamping structure upward so that the clamping structure grips the rail. The rails are spaced from one another at the junction, and the clamping structure allows the slidable weight to be moved into either of the channels without being indexed.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/664,235, filed on Jul. 31, 2017, and issued on Jul. 17, 2018, as U.S. patent Ser. No. 10/022,602, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/049,494, filed on Feb. 22, 2016, and issued on Aug. 8, 2017, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,724,577, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/012,493, filed on Feb. 1, 2016, and issued on Jun. 20, 2017, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,682,298, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/933,973, filed on Nov. 5, 2015, and issued on Apr. 18, 2017, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,623,294, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/163,946, filed on Jan. 24, 2014, and issued on Dec. 15, 2015, as U.S. Pat. No. 9,211,453, and is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/174,068, filed on Feb. 6, 2014, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a golf club head. More specifically, the present invention relates to a slidable weight for a golf club head that can be adjusted along one or more channels in the golf club head.

Description of the Related Art

The ability to adjust center of gravity location and weight in a golf club head is useful for controlling performance of the golf club. The prior art includes several different solutions for adjustable weighting, but these solutions do not optimize weight adjustment, especially along tracks or channels that follow the curvature of the golf club head or intersect with other channels. For example, several golf club manufacturers employ slidable weights that clamp a pair of rails in a channel when the weights are fixed in place, but these designs are more complex and costly than they need to be, and the presence of multiple rails increases the overall weight of the golf club head and reduces the amount of discretionary mass available to the manufacturer during the design process. Therefore, there is a need for a weighting mechanism that allows for simple and flexible center of gravity (CG) and moment of inertia (MOI) adjustability along channels that intersect with one another and follow a golf club head's curvature.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention allows consumers to easily move and fix a weight at any location within intersecting channels disposed in the golf club head in such a way to maximize aesthetic appearances while preserving the function of the movable weight. The objective of this invention is to provide an adjustable weighting feature for lateral center of gravity control which is placed to maximize effectiveness and may be entirely concealed from view at address. Additional goals include minimizing the fixed component of the structure dedicated to the weighting system and also minimizing any potential effect on impact sound.

The slidable weight of the present invention fits within one or more contoured or rounded channels and can be clamped to any location along the channels. The slidable weight is added to a channel at a single location, and, when engaged with a channel, the slidable weight has multiple points of contact at each location on the channel despite the changing contour and channel geometry. The slidable weight also includes a keyed, anti-rotation structure that prevents the parts of the slidable weight from rotating with respect to one another when the slidable weight is fixed within a channel

One aspect of the present invention is a golf club head comprising a body comprising a first channel, and a weight assembly comprising at least one mechanical fastener comprising a head portion and a threaded extension portion, a top portion comprising a first upper surface, a first lower surface, a first keyed feature, and a first through-bore sized to receive the head portion of the at least one mechanical fastener, and a base portion comprising a second upper surface, a second lower surface, a second keyed feature, a second, threaded through-bore extending from the second upper surface to the second lower surface and sized to receive the threaded extension portion of the at least one mechanical fastener, and a clamping portion extending from the lower surface, wherein the first channel comprises a first floor, at least one first shoulder portion, and a first rail, wherein the clamping portion is sized to receive at least an upper portion of the first rail, wherein, when the clamping portion is engaged with the first rail, tightening the mechanical fastener pulls the top portion towards the base portion and causes the first lower surface of the top portion to press against the at least one first shoulder portion and the clamping portion to reversibly grip the upper portion of the first rail, and wherein the first keyed feature engages the second keyed feature to limit rotation of the top portion with respect to the base portion.

In some embodiments, the first keyed feature may extend from the first lower surface and the second keyed feature may extend into the second upper surface. In a further embodiment, the first keyed feature may comprise at least one triangular tooth and the second keyed feature may comprise at least one triangular depression sized to receive the at least one triangular tooth. In other embodiments, the first lower surface may comprise at least one convex protrusion, and the first rail may comprise a chamfered end region. In another embodiment, the clamping portion may comprise a plurality of tapered projections, each pair of adjacent tapered projections may form a slot between them, and each slot may be sized to receive an upper portion of the first rail. In a further embodiment, the plurality of tapered projections may comprise four tapered projections, which may be evenly spaced around the second through-bore.

In another embodiment, the body may further comprise a second channel comprising at least one second shoulder portion, a second floor, and a second rail extending from the second floor in a direction normal to the second floor, the clamping portion may be sized to receive at least an upper portion of the second rail, and when the clamping portion is engaged with the second rail, tightening the mechanical fastener may pull the top portion towards the base portion and cause the first lower surface of the top portion to press against the at least one second shoulder portion and the clamping portion to reversibly grip the upper portion of the second rail. In a further embodiment, the second channel may extend in a direction approximately perpendicular to at least a portion of the first channel, the second channel may intersect the first channel to form a junction, the first rail may comprise a first chamfered end region, the second rail may comprise a second chamfered end region, and each of the first and second chamfered end regions may be disposed within the junction.

In some embodiments, the clamping portion may have a first width, an open space may be disposed within the junction between the first chamfered end region and the second chamfered end region, and the open space may have a second width that is greater than the first width. In a further embodiment, a plug sized to fit within the open space and prevent the first weight from disengaging from either of the first and second rails may be included with the golf club head. In any of the embodiments, the first rail may comprise a first rail segment and a second rail segment, the first rail segment may be spaced from the second rail segment to form an open space, the clamping portion may have a first width, and the open space may have a second width that is greater than the first width. In another embodiment, the first rail may have a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of T-shaped, V-shaped, and Y-shaped.

Another aspect of the present invention is a weight assembly comprising at least one mechanical fastener comprising a head portion and a threaded extension portion, a top portion comprising a first keyed feature and an unthreaded through-bore sized to receive the head portion of the at least one mechanical fastener, and a base portion comprising a clamping portion, a second keyed feature, and a threaded through-bore sized to receive the threaded extension portion of the at least one mechanical fastener, wherein the first keyed feature engages the second keyed feature to prevent rotation of the top portion with respect to the base portion, wherein the clamping portion comprises a plurality of projections spaced from one another to form at least one slot, and wherein the slot has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of T-shaped, V-shaped, and Y-shaped.

In some embodiments, the top portion may comprise a lower surface, the base portion may comprise an upper surface, the first keyed feature may extend from the lower surface, and the second keyed feature may extend into the upper surface. In a further embodiment, the first keyed feature may comprise at least one triangular tooth, and the second keyed feature may comprise at least one triangular depression sized to receive the at least one triangular tooth. In a further embodiment, the at least one triangular tooth may comprise first and second triangular teeth spaced at opposite sides of the top portion, and the at least one triangular depression may comprise first and second triangular depressions spaced at opposite sides of the base portion. In other embodiments, the top portion may be composed of a first material, the base portion may be composed of a second material, and first material may have a different density than the second material. In a further embodiment, the first material may have a higher density than the second material.

Having briefly described the present invention, the above and further objects, features and advantages thereof will be recognized by those skilled in the pertinent art from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a first embodiment of the golf club head of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is another bottom perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the circled portion of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the slidable weight assembly shown in FIG. 4 along lines 5-5.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the slidable weight assembly shown in FIGS. 2-4.

FIG. 7 is a bottom elevational view of the slidable weight assembly shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 along lines 8-8.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 with the slidable weight assembly engaged with one of the rear rails on the golf club head.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the circled portion of the embodiment shown in

FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of the slidable weight assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of the top portion of the slidable weight assembly shown in FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a side perspective view of the base portion of the slidable weight assembly shown in FIG. 11.

FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The design approaches described herein are based on a construction used in a driver head characterized by a composite crown adhesively bonded to a cast titanium body. This particular construction approach permits the crown configuration to be adapted to the inventive weighting scheme with minimal impact on weight and function. However, the weighting embodiments disclosed herein can be used with other constructions, including all titanium, all composite, and a composite body with metal face cup. The embodiments may also work in conjunction with at least one adjustable weight port on the sole, crown, and/or other part of the driver head. Shifting weight along the channel described herein gives a user control of the golf club head's center of gravity location and other mass properties.

A first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-10. The golf club head 10 comprises a body 20 composed of a metal material and a crown 30 composed of a composite material covering an upper opening (not shown) in the body 20. The body 20 includes a face 22, a heel side 23, a toe side 25, a hosel 26, a rear side 28, and a sole 40, and preferably is integrally cast from a titanium or steel alloy, though it may be made from a carbon composite material, including one or more of the materials disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 9,033,822, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sole 40 includes a first elongated channel 50 that extends from the heel side 23 to the toe side 25 via the rear side 28 and receives a slidable weight assembly 100 on a rail 60 extending upwards from, and approximately normal to, a floor 55 of the elongated channel 50. The rail 60 has two segments 62, 64 separated by an open space 65 where the weight assembly 100 can be inserted into the elongated channel 50 and onto one of the rail 60 segments 62, 64. The rail 60 preferably is integrally cast, molded, forged, or formed with the body 20, but in an alternative embodiment may be separately created and assembled as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/174,068, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. The elongated channel 50 also includes a pair of shoulders 52, 54, extending from the side walls 51, 53 of the channel 50, and which preferably are located closer to the sole 40 surface than to the floor 55 of the channel 50.

The sole 40 includes a second elongated channel 70, which is linear, extends approximately normal to the face 22 in a front-to-back direction, and intersects the first elongated channel 50 at a junction 90 located at an approximate midpoint 56 of the first elongated channel 50. The second channel 70 also includes a pair of shoulders 72, 74, a floor 75, and a rail 80 extending upwards from, and approximately normal to, the floor 75. As shown in the Figures, the rail 80 in the second channel 70 is spaced from the rail segments 62 in the first channel 50 to maintain the open space 65.

As shown in FIG. 5, each of the rails 60, 80 has a cross-sectional shape that tapers in thickness from a narrow region 67 to a thicker region 68. Each rail's 60, 80 cross-sectional dimensions (e.g., thickness, height, radii, etc.) are preferably the same, taking into account manufacturing tolerances. As shown in the Figures, the rails 60, 80 in the first embodiment have approximately Y-shaped cross-sections, but in alternative embodiments the rails 60, 80 may have Y- or T-shaped cross-sections.

The weight assembly 100 of the present invention, which may have any shape but preferably is approximately circular as shown in the Figures, includes a top portion 110, a base portion 130, and a mechanical fastener 150 connecting the top portion 110 to the base portion 130. When tightened, the mechanical fastener 150, which has a head portion 152 and a threaded extension portion 154 extending from the head portion 152, pulls the base portion 130 towards the top portion 110 to create a clamping force. The circular shape of the weight assembly 100 allows it to move smoothly within straight, rounded, and contoured channels 50, 70 without requiring a specific orientation therein.

As shown in FIGS. 4-6, the top portion 110 comprises an upper surface 111, a lower surface 112, a through-bore 113 sized to receive the mechanical fastener 150, and particularly the head portion 152, an internal ledge 114 within the through-bore 113 to prevent the head portion 152 of the mechanical fastener 150 from disengaging from the top portion 110, and a plurality of convex protrusions 115 extending from the lower surface 112 around the circumference of the top portion 110. The convex protrusions 115 preferably are spaced from one another to form a wave- or tooth-like pattern. The top portion 110 has a width W₁ that is slightly less than the largest width W₂ of the channels 50, 70, and preferably is composed of a high density material such as a tungsten alloy, though it may be made of any materials known to a person skilled in the art.

The base portion 130 has a width W₃ that is less than W₁ and includes an upper surface 131, a lower surface 132, a threaded through-bore 133 sized to receive the threaded extension portion 154 of the mechanical fastener 150, and a clamping portion 134 extending from the lower surface 132. The clamping portion 134 comprises four tapered projections 134 a, 134 b, 134 c, 134 d that are evenly spaced around the threaded through-bore 133 and that form a pair of tapering slots 135 a, 135 b having the same general cross-sectional shape and geometry as that of the rails 60, 80, e.g., Y-shaped, V-shaped, or T-shaped.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the weight assembly 100 is attached to one of the rails 60, 80 in a channel 50, 70 by inserting it into the open space 65 and then sliding the selected rail 60, 80 into one of the tapering slots 135 a, 135 b in the base portion 130 of the weight assembly 100. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the open space 65 between the rail segments 62, 64 and the second rail 80 has a width W4 that is slightly larger than W₃ so that the weight assembly 100, and particularly the base portion 130, has enough room to be placed within an elongated channel 50, 70 in such a way that it can be slid onto a rail 60, 80. It is important that the end portion 63, 66, 82 of each rail 60, 80 is chamfered as shown in FIG. 10 so as to guide the base portion 130 onto the rails 60, 80 via the tapering slots 135 a, 135 b. Without the chamfering, it is more difficult to engage the weight assembly 100 with the rails 60, 80.

Once the weight assembly 100 of the present invention is engaged with a rail 60, 80 and the mechanical fastener 150 has not yet been tightened, the weight assembly 100 can move freely within the selected channel 50, 70 and be clamped at any position on the chosen rail 60, 80 except for the open space 65 between the rail 60 segments 62, 64 and second rail 80. As shown in FIG. 5, when the mechanical fastener 150 is tightened using a tool sized to engage with the head portion 152, the base portion 130 is pulled upwards away from the floor 55, 75 of the selected channel 50, 70, while the top portion 110 is pressed against the shoulders 52, 54, 72, 74 of the selected channel 50, 70, thus causing the clamping portion 134 to pull up on the underside of the selected rail 60, 80. This creates a clamping force between lower sides of the selected rail 60, 80 and the inner surfaces of the tapered projections 134 a, 134 b, 134 c, 134 d. Furthermore, the rounded nature of the convex protrusions 115 serves to reduce the surface area of the top portion 110 making contact with the shoulders 52, 54, 72, 74 and to increase the clamping force provided by the weight assembly 100 at any given location on the channels 50, 70. In this way, the weight assembly 100 is reversibly fixed to the selected rail 60, 80 within the selected channel 50, 70 and will not be dislodged when the golf club head 10 is in use. The curvature of the tapered projections' 134 a, 134 b, 134 c, 134 d inner surfaces allows the weight assembly 100 to move freely within the channels 50, 70, as they have smaller radii than that of the rail's 60, 80 radii.

In an alternative, preferred embodiment, shown in FIGS. 11-15, the slidable weight assembly 100 has all of the features of the slidable weight assembly 100 shown in FIGS. 4-6, but also includes a keyed structure 140 that prevents the top portion 110 from rotating with respect to the base portion 130 when the golf club head 10 is in use. In particular, the top portion 110 comprises a pair of sharp teeth 116, 117 extending from an underside of the internal ledge 114 at opposite sides of the top portion 110, while the base portion 130 includes a pair of triangular depressions 136, 137 extending into its upper surface 131 at opposite sides of the base portion 130. When the weight assembly 100 is tightened within one of the channels 50, 70, the teeth 116, 117 engage the triangular depressions 136, 137 and limit rotation of the top portion 110 with respect to the base portion 130. This, in turn, prevents the weight assembly 100 from loosening and disengaging from the channel 50, 70. Though the embodiment shown in FIGS. 11-15 includes a triangular keyed structure 140, the keyed structure 140 may, in other embodiments, include any mating features that limit the rotation of the top portion 110 with respect to the base portion.

If a golfer wishes to move the weight assembly 100 from one channel 50, 70 to another, she need only loosen the mechanical fastener 150 so that the top portion 110 and base portion 130 move away from another and release the clamping force on the rail 60, 80 and shoulders 52, 54, 72, 74, slide the weight assembly 100 into the open space 65, and then, without removing or indexing the weight assembly 100, slide it onto a different rail 60, 80 and re-tighten the mechanical fastener 150. The orientation of the tapering slots 135 a, 135 b permit this easy transition from one channel 50, 70 into another, perpendicular or intersecting channel 50, 70.

The open space 65 at the junction 90 may be filled with a plug (not shown) to further ensure that none of the weight assemblies 100 becomes disengaged from the elongated channels 50, 70. The plug may have clamping features that snap onto one or any of the rails 60, 80, and/or it may include a threaded bore that lines up with a threaded bore in the open space 65 to receive a bolt to secure it to the golf club head 10. The plug may also have any of the features of the stopper disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/174,068 or the weight screw or plug disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/163,946.

In any of the embodiments disclosed herein, the crown 30 may be affixed to the body 20 with an adhesive material. The crown 30 is formed from a light-weight material, preferably a non-metal material such as a composite, which may be selected from any of the composite materials disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,460,123 and 9,033,822, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.

The rail 60 and plug may be formed as disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/174,068, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. Similarly, the elongated channels 50, 70 disclosed herein may have any of the configurations disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,696,491, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety herein, and the elongated channels 50, 70 disclosed herein may be disposed anywhere on the golf club head 10, including the sole 40, crown 30, face 22, and ribbon portions, if applicable. Though the embodiment disclosed herein is shown in a driver, the inventive adjustable weighting configuration may also be used with other type of golf clubs, including fairway woods, irons, wedges, hybrids, and putters.

In other embodiments, the golf club head 10 may have a multi-material composition such as any of those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,244,976, 6,332,847, 6,386,990, 6,406,378, 6,440,008, 6,471,604, 6,491,592, 6,527,650, 6,565,452, 6,575,845, 6,478,692, 6,582,323, 6,508,978, 6,592,466, 6,602,149, 6,607,452, 6,612,398, 6,663,504, 6,669,578, 6,739,982, 6,758,763, 6,860,824, 6,994,637, 7,025,692, 7,070,517, 7,112,148, 7,118,493, 7,121,957, 7,125,344, 7,128,661, 7,163,470, 7,226,366, 7,252,600, 7,258,631, 7,314,418, 7,320,646, 7,387,577, 7,396,296, 7,402,112, 7,407,448, 7,413,520, 7,431,667, 7,438,647, 7,455,598, 7,476,161, 7,491,134, 7,497,787, 7,549,935, 7,578,751, 7,717,807, 7,749,096, and 7,749,097, the disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety herein.

From the foregoing it is believed that those skilled in the pertinent art will recognize the meritorious advancement of this invention and will readily understand that while the present invention has been described in association with a preferred embodiment thereof, and other embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, numerous changes, modifications and substitutions of equivalents may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is intended to be unlimited by the foregoing except as may appear in the following appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined in the following appended claims. 

We claim:
 1. A golf club head comprising: a body comprising a first channel and a second channel; and a weight assembly comprising: at least one mechanical fastener comprising a head portion and a threaded extension portion; a top portion comprising a first upper surface, a first lower surface, and a first through-bore sized to receive the head portion of the at least one mechanical fastener; and a base portion comprising a second upper surface, a second lower surface, a second, threaded through-bore extending from the second upper surface to the second lower surface and sized to receive the threaded extension portion of the at least one mechanical fastener, and a clamping portion extending from the lower surface, wherein the first channel comprises a first floor, at least one first shoulder portion, and a first rail comprising a first upper portion, wherein the second channel comprises a second floor, at least one second shoulder portion, and a second rail comprising a second upper portion, wherein the clamping portion is sized to receive the first upper portion and the second upper portion, wherein, when the clamping portion is engaged with one of the first rail and the second rail, tightening the mechanical fastener pulls the top portion towards the base portion and causes the first lower surface of the top portion to press against the at least one first shoulder portion and the clamping portion to reversibly grip the first upper portion or the second upper portion.
 2. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second rails is integrally cast with the body.
 3. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the first rail comprises first and second segments separated by an open space.
 4. The golf club head of claim 3, wherein the second channel intersects the first channel proximate the open space to form a junction.
 5. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the second rail is spaced from the first and second segments of the first rail at the junction.
 6. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the first channel is curved and wherein the second channel is linear.
 7. The golf club head of claim 4, wherein the second channel extends approximately perpendicular to a region of the first channel located proximate a rear side of the body.
 8. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the at least one first shoulder portion consists of two first shoulder portions, and wherein the at least one second shoulder portion consists of two second shoulder portions.
 9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second rails has a cross-sectional shape that tapers from a narrow region to a thicker region.
 10. The golf club head of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first rail and the second rail has a cross-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of T-shaped, V-shaped, and Y-shaped.
 11. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the top portion of the weight assembly is composed of a first material, wherein the base portion of the weight assembly is composed of a second material, and wherein the first material has a different density than the second material.
 12. The golf club head of claim 11, wherein the first material has a higher density than the second material.
 13. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight assembly has an approximately circular shape.
 14. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight assembly comprises a keyed structure that prevents the top portion from rotating with respect to the base portion.
 15. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second rails has a chamfered end portion.
 16. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the weight assembly can be clamped to any position on either of the first and second rails.
 17. The golf club head of claim 3, further comprising a plug, wherein the plug at least partially fills the open space.
 18. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the body is composed of a non-metal composite material.
 19. The golf club head of claim 18, wherein the body comprises a non-metal composite crown.
 20. The golf club head of claim 19, wherein the golf club head is a wood-type golf club head. 